Car body



E. J. W. RAGSDALE El' AL CAR BODY 'Ap-,An 1e, 1940.

original Filed April 5. 1954 9 Sheets-SheekI 1 `lNvraNroRs EARL 1W RAG som BY ALBERT GDI-:AN

ATTORNEY l April 16, 1940. E. J.,w. RAGSDALE Er AL v2,197,708

CAR BODY- Y Original Filed April 5, 1934 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 wn 4 g;

INV ENTORS EARLJM. RAGsDAue BYALBER'rG-DBAN.

- E. J; w. RAGsDALE Err-A1. 2,197,708

April 16,1940.

GAR BODY riginal Filed April 5, 1934 9 Sheei'zs-Sheet 5 INVENToRs EARLlWQAGsDALE .A LBEERT G. DEAN.

April 16, 1940. E. J.vw. RAGsDALE Er Al. 2,197,708

' om BODY Original Filed Apri 5, 1934 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS EALW-RAGSDALE BY ALBERTDEAN.

ATTORNEY April'lG, 1940. EL J. w. RAGsDALE Er A1. I A2.197.798

cAn som original Filed April 5, 1934 9 sheets-Sheet s INVENTORS EARLJMI. RAcxsvALE BYALBERT l Q/d/Ma/J ATTORNEY April 16, 1.940 E. J. w. RAGspALE l-:r A1. 2,197,708

'CAR BODY original Filed April 5, 1934 9 sheets-sheet s EARLMRAGSDALE BYALBERT @.DBAN

f ATTORNEY f April 16, 1940. E. J. w.- RAGsDALE TAL 2,197,708

GAR BODY Original Filed April 5, 1934 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 JW Tg1g/wrom v EARL 1SDALEy 5 BY ALBBRTGDEAN- ATTORNEY.

April 16, 1.940. E. J. w RAGsDALE: Erm. 2,197,708

' CAR BODY Original-Filed'Apri1 5, 1954 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 I E lN/rll l q ARL GS DALE ICTQ. v v BYALBERT @DEAN ATTQ'RNEY APT 16 1940- lE. J. w. RAGSDALE Er ilu. 2,197,708

CAR BODY Original Filed April 5, 1934 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTORS EARLJWRAGSDAUQ BY ALBERT @DEAN Patented Apr. I6, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAR BODY Application April 5, 1934, Serial No. 719,072 Renewed October 18, 1938 29 Claims.

10 rubber tires.

It is among the objects of Aour invention to provide a car body of this class which has better streamline characteristics than thoseheretofore proposed and in which these characteristics are i attained without involving curvatures of a compound nature.

It is a further object of the invention to pro#- vide a construction in which the loads are more' uniformly distributed vand in which the parts entering into the structure are made to servev so far as possible several functions, whereby simplification and further lightening of the struc* ture is attained.

It is a further object of the \invention to coni stitute the roof structure as a main load carrying member of the body structure. 4

1n constituting the roof `a main structural member, made of framing interconnected by paneling forming in effect a plategirder or beam of deep U-form in cross section, extending from end to end of the car structure and down at the sides to the upper margins of the Window openings. Where the girder so formed isy cut by a door opening, it is suitably reinforced in the edges of the opening and for some distance therebeyond to carry the load through such reinforcement around the opening Other and further objects are ease of fabrication of the parts entering into the structure which is attained in large measure by reason of the fact that t-hese parts are in the main rectilinear in form, and more readily formed than compound curved forms. Ease of assembly of the parts is another aim, and this is achieved by the formation of the parts so that the joints are readily accessible, and also by the assembly of the structure in sub-assemblies, which can be readily subassembled in jigs and then joined to each other in final assembly.

Extreme lightness and atthe same time all the strength necessary to carry the loads is attained by the formation in large part of the parts entering into the structure of high tensile stainless steel, the frame members being generally of hollow channel section to permit openness of body structure,4 omitting the subordinate elements joints for ready connection, as by spot Welding, and the channels are in. many cases finally closed by cover strips to foam box section members of added strength.

Another object is the simplification of the con- 6 struction of the flooring and underframe to make it of light and economical construction, and this is attained by reason of the fact 4that the main loading is carried through the roof structure and also by the manner of assembly of the parts entering into the structure. Moreover, to carry thectruck loads such as draft and buing loads, into the body structure, the main longitudinal framing which is connected to the trucks is so tied in with the underframing and flooring as to distribute shocks transmitted thereto through the entire underframe and floor structure.

The main underframing of the body structure is suspended, very low, thereby providing a very low centerI of vgravity and improving the riding qualities. The side walls of the bodyextend well down over the sides of the truck frames and Wheels, and for ease of access to the said truck parts, are provided with readily movable panels adjacent the truck sides.

Other and further objects and advantages and the manner in which they are attained will be made known in the following detailed description of the invention when read in the light of the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a rail car constructed inv accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevational view, the section being taken approximately on the line 3--3 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig: 4 is a sectional plan view of the greater portion of the width of the body takenapproxi- 40 mately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a more or less diagrammatic sectional side elevational view showing in full lines the main elements of the trussing of the improved Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view taken 'on the line 8 6 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view, on an enlarged scale and looking downwardly and outwardly, of the underframe and post assembly.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale of the underframe and post joint taken on the line IIl-I of Fig. 11.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional plan view taken substantially on the line II-'I| of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of the underframe sub-assembly, looking downwardly and inwardly.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view through parts shown in the upper part of Fig-6, but on an enlarged scale.

Figs. 14 and l5 are detail sectional views on an enlarged scale taken, respectively, on the lines I-i and 4I5---I5 of Fig. 13.

Fig. 16 is a detail horizontal sectional view through -a post carline taken in the plane indicated by the line II-IB of Fig. 13.

Fig. 17 is a detailed vertical sectional view through the moulding and paneling adjacent a post carline as indicated by the line II-i'l of Fig. 16.

Fig. 18 is a perspective view of the side wall and roof of the car body structure in the region surrounding a window opening as seen from the inside. i

Fig, 19 is a similar view of a portion of the flooring, the side wall and roof of the car body structure in the region surrounding a door opening adjacent the front transverse bulkhead, the bulkhead being shown more or less schematically,

Fig. 20 is a perspective view showing the main underframe extension which connects with the truck and parts of the rear end structure rendered accessible, whenthe hinged side panel is in raised tion, as shown in this view.

Fig. 2l is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line 2I-2i of Fig. 19.

The r'ail car embodying the -invention is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings as being of generally streamline form to reduce air resistance, the streamline body thereof being supported on two swivelled trucks, the one, a four wheel truck' supporting its rear end and the other, a six wheel truck supporting its front end and carrying a cab for the driver and the motor and driving transmission to the Wheels. The side and top walls of the cab and main body run smoothly into each other, the movements between the cab and main body being permitted by the spacing between the rear transverse wall of thecab and the front transverse wall of the main body, which space between the side and top walls is bridged by a usual flexible bellows connection.

'I'his invention is concerned more particularly with the construction of the main body ofl the car, and the detail description will therefore be confined thereto.

' The main body, to carry out the streamline effect, but to facilitate fabrication out of submore than the lower; the lower portions being formed by relatively fiat facets i5 and I6 extending from the bottom of the side wall almost to the bottom line of the windows where they merge through compound curved surfaces Il and I8 into the upper fiat faceted portions I9 and 20 extending to the roof and including the window openings. outwardly inclined facets 2l and 22 meeting in a line at the center complete the general streamline construction. The roof wall is likewise of faceted construction and is vertically of considerable greater depth at the'front than at the rear, thus giving the roof a gradual downward and rearward inclination. The faceted construction of the roof is best shown in Figs. 1 and 6 in which the roof is seen to have two wide central facets 23 and 2d sloping gradually from the center to the sides and two narrower side facets 25 and 26 sloping more abruptly and joining up with the flat facets forming the side walls. This fiat faceted construction materially improves the streamline characteristics of the car over the usual car forms without injecting into the structure the difficulties encountered in formingthe framing and paneling which would be encountered in a true streamline form having compound curved walls. It is particularly advantageous where the structure is formed, in the main, as in the instant case, out of high tensile `stainless steel parts, which can be readily formed in rectilinear elements of varying cross sections, but the formation of which into elements having compound curvature is relatively diflicult, by reason of the high elasticity of the material.

High tensile stainless steel, particularly cold -rolled stainless steel sheets: containing in the neighborhood of 18% chromium and 8% nickel is, however, an ideal materialto achieve the main objects of the invention, namely, extreme light weight combined with the necessary strength, by reason of the fact that exceedingly thin gauge such material, when formed in proper section',

lends itself readily to joinder of the parts entering into the structure by spot welding, an exceedingly eflicient method of joinder, and the parts entering into the structure may consist largely of rolled sections of any desired cross section which may be rolled from at strips of a1- most any length, and cut to the desired lengths.

The general structural plan of the body according to the invention takes the form of a low swung trussed beam or girder having the upper portion of the body including the side Walls above the window openings and the roof proper forming-a deep inverted U-section beam. constituting the main load carrying member of/the body. This roof beam may be considered the main or compression chord of a Queen type of.

truss extending from substantially one end of the body to the other. The underframe or oor supporting structure between the transverse bulkheads I3 and I4, and the side wall structures adjacent and beyond said bulkheads toward the ends of the body form the tension chord of said truss, and the bulkheads themselves form the compression members of the truss between the chords. Between the bulkheads additional spaced post structures connect` the upper and lower chords of the main body trussing.

All of this is most clearly apparent from an inspection of Fig. 5 in which the main truss structure is emphasized by the full lines, and the main elements are designated the top chord, as A, the

The sharply inturned downwardly and gether.

C. Where the top chord Avis cut into by the door opening, as 21, it is reinforced above said opening by a metal sheet 28 extending from the topof the door opening up over theside of the roof and from some distance in rear of the door opening forwardly to the front end wall I0 of the body'.

'I'he underframe of the improved body construction designated generally by the letter B as is more clearly shown in Figs. 9 to 12 and Fig.'20 is a separate sub-assembly comprising as .main elements thereof, side sills 29, 29 extending between the bulkheads I3 and |4, spaced transverse floor beams 30, interconnecting the side sills and main central longitudinal beams 3|, 3| extending through the transverse floor beams and beyond the bulkheads for' connection to the supporting trucks, not shown. 'Ihe side sills are built up truss structures having upper and lower chords 32, 33 of box section form, each comprising two flanged channel members placed ,mouth to mouth withthe fianges overlapping and spot Welded to- The webbing interconnecting the chords may comprise web plates 34 and spaced channels 35 facing outwardly of the sill structure, the Web plates 34 andthe channels 35 being secured by spot welding them to the side walls of the inner channels of the chords 32, 33 before the chords are closed by Welding the outer channels to the inner channels.

' The transverse floor beams designated gen- -erally by the numeral 3U are of the Queen truss type comprising upper compression chords of box cross section comprising a flanged channel member 31 and a cover plate 38 welded to the flanges of the channel and forming the tops of the chords upon which the flooring rests and is secured. The central portions of certain of the chords 30 are reinforced by downwardly facing flanged channels 39 secured through their bottom walls to the bottom walls of the channels 31 and through their flanges',f as ,40, to the main central longitudinal beams 3|, 3|. The lower or tension chord of the transverse floor beams may comprise a shallow channel 4| passing under the central longitudinal beams and secured thereto and having its ends adjacent the side sills upwardly inclined, and' meeting the upper or'compression chord 31, 38. By this construction, with the main longitudinal beams 3| extending between the top and bottom chordsof the transverse floor beams, they serve as structural elements of said beams, forming the compression members of the Queen type trusses comprising said transverse beams. Certain of the chords 31, 38 are not reinforced centrally by channels 39, 40, and in such cases, hollow section spacers 42 are inserted between the bottoms of the chords 31, 38 and the mainlongitudinal Abeams 3|, 3| and secured thereto.

To facilitate the threading of the longitudinal beams 3|, 3| between the chords of the transverse floor beams the lower chords 4| are left unconnected at one end until the beams have been brought in place.

y The main longitudinal central beams, whichl At their end portions, as most clearly shown.

in Figs. 3 and 20, they project beyond the main side sillsV and flooring structure under a raised flooring structure where the body extends over the trucks and are at their extreme ends interconnected by a transverse bolster beam 45. The bolster beam carries centrally a bracket 46 for receiving .the trunnion in connecting it to the truck and at the sides brackets 41, 41 affording a link suspension from the truck frame which extends over the beams 3l, 3|. To transmit the vertical stresses into the raised flooring and body superstructure, the ends of the beams are connected with the latter by diagonal outwardly and upwardly extending struts 48, 48. Not only are the beams 3|, 3| tied together at their extreme ends, but to additionally reinforce them and carry the longitudinal and vertical truck reactions into the body structure, they are interconnected in their extended portions by additional transverse and diagonal braces, see Fig. 20, and to the bulkhead and superstructure by the vertical posts 49 forming elements of the bulkhead structures.

Reverting to Figs. 9 to 12, it will be seen that the joint construction between the transverse floor beams and the side sills is such as to avoid cutting through the main strength members of the sills, the chords 32, 33, and provides common means whereby the sills, transverse oor beams, and the posts may all be secured together, the joint between these parts. being open to permit joinder by spot welding.

To this end the side sill chords- 32, 33 are joined at the joint locations by closely spaced pairs of channel web members 35 and a portion of the plate webbing 34 is removed as at 58 for greater accessibility forwelding. The ends of the channels of the upper'and lower chords of the transverse floor beams lextend between the top and the bottom chords of a. sill and are widened outin vertical direction by extensions thereof projecting from the outer side of the sill. The

floor beams is effected by apair of gusset plates 5|, 5| spot welded to the side walls of the channels 31 and 4| of the transverse floor beams and to the side walls of the channel webbing members 35 connecting the top and bottom chords of the sills. The portions of said gussets extending outwardly beyond the outer sides of the sills form final assembly joints, and arpost carline, the main body of which is a flanged channel element 52 i vertical Widening and extension of the transverse .Y

facing outwardly and closed to box section form arm overlapping the adjacent sill and secured thereto and the other arm secured to the post. This member extends through the length of the underframe and forms a side extension of the flooring.

The main underframe sub-assembly, as hereinbefore described, is vfurther stiffened and reinforced and adapted to distribute the end thrusts on the main central beams 3|, 3| conas in the post regions.

nected to the trucks by the novel flooring structure, which is also of a maximum lightness consistent with the strength required.4 The iloorlng comprises longitudinal iloor stringers closely spaced from each other and in the form of upwardly facing flanged channels 53 and secured to the flanges of the transverse ocr -beam chords 3l, 38 which stringers are in turn overlaid by iioor sheeting 5d having transverse corrugations of shallow depth and welded through the bottoms of the corrugations to the anges of the oor stringers 53. The oor is completed by any suitable ller (not shown) such as cork composition filling the spaces between the corrugaticns of the sheet and extending some distance above the peaks thereof. For convenience of manufacture the ilooring structure including the stringers and sheeting may be built up in suitable unit sections of any desired length, which units are assembled with the underframe by securing them through the bottoms of the corrugations of the sheeting and through the stringers to the edge anges of the chords 31, 38, as by bolts indicated at 55, Fig. 19.

The superstructure comprises as the main frame elements thereof the transversely extending carlines including post portions 52, 53 as already described extended inwardly at the top and across the roof to form the roof carlines and downwardly on the opposite side of the body to form the post carlines on that side. These ,transverse frame structures are sub-assembled as units and are of the saine general box section throughout They are built 'up of rectilinear units having their abutting ends where the body wall passes from one iiat facet into the other secured together as indicated in detail in Figs. 13 and 14 by a. deep channel section gusset 56 the side walls of which are stiiened by pressed out ribs and overlapping through extensive areas the side walls of the channels 52 forming the adjacent carlinesections and spot welded thereto in said overlap. Y

These transverse frame sub-,assemblies are in the present construction arranged in pairs extending across the superstructure on opposite sides of the doorway and window openings, and. are connected together in the roof region by longitudinally extending purlines 5l of outwardly presenting iianged channel section having. their ends abutting the side walls of the channels 52 of the carlines and secured thereto through angle gussets 58 spot welded to the side walls of the carlines and purlines, respectively. The roof section is completed by the roof sheeting 58' which is applied to the outer faces of the carlines and purlines in overlapping sections and secured to the flanges of both carlines and purlines to form of the roof portion a deep U-,section plate girder which forms the main strength member. In fact, the upper portions of the sides of the body above the window openings also form a part of this girder or beam, since the moulding strips 59 and G which extend continuously from end to end of the car body except in the region of the door opening where the upper strip 6l! alone is unbroken, and comprise inwardly facing channels secured by angle brackets, as 6l, and a Z-section roof rail, all tie the carlines together and form with the diagonal braces '53 (Fig. 19) and the curved paneling section 64, a trussed structure. Above the window openings the moulding strip 59 is extended yinwardly Vas at 65 between the post carlines to form` the top framing of the window. Such inward extension may also extend between the. posts in other re` gions, as shown in Fig. 8. Y

Along the bottoms'of the window openings an inwardly facing channel section moulding strip 66 extended inwardly at 51 and forming the window sills is secured to the post carlines in a manner similar to the moulding strip 59 and between this moulding strip and the bottom moulding strip 68, the outer paneling is applied in the form of concave panel strips 69.. secured together and to the moulding through edge flanges 'l0 and the edge flanges in turn secure the paneling to the posts through the angle brackets ll. Between the sides of the window openings, a short post carline similar to the main post carlines is provided but terminating at the window sill and secured to the downwardly extending flange l2 on the window sill 6l through angle gussets 13 (Fig. 18) spot welded thereto. Similarly a short carline extends from the central portion of the top of a window opening across the top to the top of a window opening on the opposite side of the car body, this short carline being connected to the purlinesy and roof sheeting in the manner already described above, as is readily seen from an inspection of Fig, 18'.` The pair of post carlines 52, 52 between the window openings are interconnected by a sheathingcomprising, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 a flat sheet l@ secured to the flanges of the posts and having inturned edge flanges combined with an outer decorative corrugated sheet "l5 which matches with the sheet 'i4 and is secured thereto to form the nish vbetween window openings. 'Il'o form a stiier trussstructure below the window openings, the pair of'posts are intercomnected asis clear from Figs. 3, 13 and 19 and by diagonal braces 'I6 which are so arranged that they may take all the load required of them in tension, and hence can be at sheets spot welded either directly or through flat gussets to the post structures. i

Between the post carlines adjacent a bulkhead, braces 'Il and I8 are extended respectively from.

thei'loor and window line of the post to an intermediate portion of the post forming apart of the bulkhead construction. The braces assisting in carrying the tension stresses of the lower iicor structure beam B through the bulkhead into the side wall structure of the extension of the body beyond the bulkhead and tothe main roof beam A.

The raised licor and superstructure of the end portions of the body beyond the bulkheads and the fixed paneling, but may be swung up as aioavos rolled and drawn sections ofsubstantially rectilinear form in most part from stainless steell strips and sheets, and the joinder together in large part of the elements and sub-assemblies by spot welding, and rthe body so constructed possesses in a very high degree the features which constitute the main objects of the invention, among them a very high strength-weight ratio and capability of fabrication in substantially streamline form out of elements of substantially rectilinear form.

While we have shown and described but onel posite sides of the posts' and secured to both posts and sills, thereby providing common means for interconnecting the beams, sills and posts.

2. A car body frame comprising side sills having upper and lower chord members and interconnecting webbing, transverse floor beams havingtheir ends terminating at said sills and tively, to the closely spaced angular section members of said webbing, a'post received between the outer ends of said gussets and secured thereto and a transverse floor beam received between the inner ends of the gussets and secured thereto.

4. A car body frame comprising a sheet metal side sill having angular section upper and lower chord members and interconnecting webbing including pairs of closely longitudinally v spaced angular section sheet metal members secured to the opposite sides of said hollow chord members, a pair oi' gusset plates passing between said chord members and projecting on the o-pposite sides thereof, and an angular section sheet metal post and an angular section sheet metal floor beam, respectively, received between the outer and inner projecting portions of said gusset plates and secured thereto.

5. A car body frame comprising an underframe sub-assembly including sheet metal side sills of truss form having upper and lower chords and longitudinally spaced transverse floor beams Ahaving their side walls adjacent their ends extended by vertically widened extensions passing between the top and bottom chords of said side sills, secured to said sills and projecting some distance from the outer faces of the sills, and sub-assembled arched car-line structures, each including a continuous hollow section frame 'member'extending from one sill up one side of the body across the roof and down the other side to thek other sill', the lower ends of said structures being received in final assembly between the widened extensions of the side walls of the floor beams and secured thereto.

6. A car body frame comprising an underframe 5 sub-assembly including sheet metal side sills of truss formrhaving upper and lower chords and longitudinally spaced transverse floor beams having their side walls adjacent their ends extended by vertically widened extensions passing between the top and bottom chords of said side sills, secured to said sills, and projecting some distance from the outer faces of the sills to form final assembly joint structures for securing carline posts thereto.

7. A car body construction having windows in its side walls and comprising a trussed top structure in transverse section of relatively deep downwardly presenting U-form terminating at thev sides in the top margins of the Windows and 20 extending substantially from end to end of the car, said structure comprising transverse carlines and longitudinal purlines 'interconnected by continuous metallic sheathing and forming a main strength beam for the body.

8. A car body construction supported adjacent its ends by swivelled trucks, having a truss structure substantially of the Queen truss type', including a roof structure of relatively deep downwardly presenting U-form in transverse section forming the main beam of. the truss, an underframe supporting the flooring, and connected at its ends by vertical and diagonal trussing to the roof structure and forming the tension member of the truss, and Vtransverse bulkheads adjacent the front and rear of the body extending between the roof, and underframe and forming compression members of the truss.

9. A car body having window openings in its side walls and construction comprising a roof fr structure forming a main strength supporting beam, in transverse section of relatively deep U-form and terminating at the sides in the top margins of the 'window opening, one side of the U being cut into by a doorway opening extending above the top margins of the window openings, of means reinforcing the framing flanking said doorway opening including a flat plate reinforce additional to the roof sheathing extending across the top of the door and from the top of the door opening a substantial distance up over the side of the roof and tying into the roof framing on either side of the doorway opening thereof.

10. A rail car body of generally streamline form having at least one end thereof. tapering to a gradually reduced cross section, the side Walls and end of said car being constituted of substantially fiat facets, each built up of framing and paneling comprising elements of generallyrectilinear form.

11. In a vehicle body, an underfrarne comprised of longitudinal side sills of truss type transversely upwardly presenting flanged channel sectionA beams between said side sills, stringers comprising longitudinally extending upwardly presenting flanged channel sections secured to the beams by connection of their bottoms with the anges of the beams and means to integrally secure said side sills to said transverse beams whereby longi- 'tudinal and transverse stresses'are distributed 7@ throughout the underframe.

12. A truss type car body construction of the type described and adapted to be mountedon trucks adjacent its ends and having windows in yits side walls, which comprises a trussed topi opening and extending a substantial distance over Iso the sides in the top margins of the windows and extending substantially from end to end of the car, said structure comprising transverse carlines and longitudinal purlines interconnected by continuous metallic sheathing, said top structure forming the compression chord and a main strength beam for the body.

13. A truss type car body construction comprising a roof structure /forming a main strength supporting beam, said rooi. being of relatively deep U-form in transverse section and forming the longitudinal compression chord of the body, said roof having transverse carlines and longitudinal purlines, one edge of the roof structure being cut away for a doorway opening extending into the edge thereof and intersecting a part of the chord, and means to reenforce the roof structure adjacent said .doorway opening including a Curved flat plate extending across the top of the doorway opening and extending a substantial distance over the roof.,structure and tying into the roof framing on either side of the doorway opening, and a continuous metallic roof sheathing in addition to the plate reenforcement joining the transverse carlines and longitudinal purlines of the roof structure.

14. A truss type car body construction of the type described adapted to be mounted on trucks adjacent its ends, comprising a roof structure forming a main strength supporting beam, said roof being of relatively deep U-iorm in transverse section and forming the principal compression chord of the body, said roof having transverse carlines and longitudinal purlines, oneedge of the roof structure being cut away fora doorway opening extending into the edge thereof and intersecting a part of the chord, and means toreenforce the roof structure adjacent said doorway the root. structure and tying into the roof framing on either side of. the doorway opening, and a continuous metallic roof sheathing in addition to the plate reenforcement joining the transverse carlines and longitudinal purlines of the roof structure, said doorway being located between the points of support. 1 y

15.J A beam type skeleton frame for a vehicle body comprising in transverse plane a post, carline and oor beam forming a closed transverse figure, means to join adjacent carlines and means to join the adjacent oor beams whereby the carlinesand their joining means and iloor beams and their joining means serve as rigid longitudinal members -of a truss, said posts serving as struts, means to support the car body adjacent its. ends, and transverse bulkheads intermediate of the carlines and floor beams, and located between the points of support serving as compression members of, a Queen truss in which the carline joining means serve as compression chord members and the iioor beam joining means, carline joining means, and posts adiacenhto and beyond the buikheads serve as tension chord members.

16. A car body of the truss type adapted to be supported adjacent its ends and having, in transverse section, a relatively deep downwardly presenting U-form roof constituting the principal compression chord of the truss, and having doorways between the points of support intercepting portions of a truss member, and means to reenforce the intercepted part of the truss to transmit loads from the section. of the truss on one side of the doorway to the section on the other through portions ofithe body inwardly removed from the sides thereof, such reenforcing means comprising beams and transverse connecting members.

17. A truss type car `body underframe for light weight rail cars comprising vertically relatively deep trussed side sills, and longitudinal beams spaced inwardly of the sills and from each other, continuous transverse trusses interconnecting said side sills at spaced longitudinal points and having their top faces below the top faces of the sills forming the door sides and arranged to receive the iiooring stringers, and ilooring on said stringers, with its top face aligned with the tops of the sills, said longitudinal beams intersecting but not interrupting said transverse trusses and forming rigid structural elements of lsaid transverse trusses, all of said parts being constructed of relatively light gauge sheet metal integrally' secured together.

18. A car body construction of truss type having a roof, side sills, and an underframe and posts joining said side sills and said roof, said roof being a compression chord element, andthe underframe and side sills being a tension chord, said underframe including transverse floor beams extending between and secured to said side sills and means to form a rigid structure of said iioo'r beams for distribution of stress reactions throughout the underframe Yincluding longitudinally extending stringers secured to said iloor beams, transversely corrugated flooring secured to said stringers and giving additional transverse rigidity to said underframe between said floor beams and a longitudinaliy extending draft and buiiing load absorbing member secured to said oor beams.

19. A car body construction'of truss type having a roof, side sills, and an underframe and posts joining said side sills and said roof, said roof being a compression chord element, and the underframe and side sills being a tension chord, said underframe including transverse iloo'r beams extending between and secured to said side sills and means to form a rigid structure of said hoor beams for distribution of stress reactions throughout theunderf rame includingA longitudinally extending stringere secured to said iioor beams, transversely corrugated flooring secured to said stringers and giving additional transverse rigidity to said underframe between said oor beams and a longitudinally extending draft and bufng loadv absorbing member secured to said iioor beams, said draft and bufng load absorbing member including afchannel shape member secured to the underportionof the respective iloor beams, said floor beams being 'transversely y construction, and transversely corrugated fiooring supported on and integrally secured to said iioor beams and reeniorcing the underframe between the iloor beams, and side frame trusses including side sills and rigid posts extending between the vside sills and the roof structure the iioor beams being'v secured to the side frame posts, said underframe serving as a tension chord member of the body truss.

21. A truss type car body for light weight rail cars comprising a roof having transverse carlines and longitudinally lextending webbing. serving as a truss element, a side frame construction including trussed side sills and posts connecting said side sills with said roof, and an underframe including iioor beams secured to said side sills and forming a truss element, said underframe including longitudinally extending stringers-secured to and tying together said floor beamsfand transversely corrugated ilooring secured to' and tying together said stringers and forming said underframe into an integral structure, and a draft and 'buiiing load member secured to said floor beams, said underframe being a body truss element and adapted to transmitdraft and bufling reactions into the car body.

.22. A car body frame comprising an underframe sub-assembly including'r sheet metal side sills of truss form having upper and lower chords, and longitudinally spaced transverse floor beams having their side walls adjacent their ends extended by extensions passing between the top and bottom chords of said side sills and secured to said sills and projecting some distance from the outer faces of. the sills, and arched carline structures, each including a hollow section frame member extended from one sill up one side of the body across the roof and down the other side to the other sill, the lower ends of said structures being received in final assembly in abutting relation with the extensions of the side walls of the floor beams.

23. A light weight, high strength truss type rail car body comprising a roof, sides, ends and underframe which constitute the truss, the underframe being adapted to serve as a stress distributing element and including sheet metal iioor beams extending transversely of the car body and having a substantial overlap through which they are secured to the sides, longitudinally extending closely spaced angular cross section 'sheet metal stringers overlapping and secured to the respective oor beams across the top edges thereof, and a sheet metal floor plating overlapping and secured to said stringers, said floor platoverlapping regions and to thecar body sides whereby to constitute the underframe as a whole,

a, lightweight shear panelof the width of the body well adapted to take and distribute the draft or buillng loads throughout the underframeand into the sides of the body.

24.. A light weight, high strength truss type rail car body comprising a roof, sides, ends and underframe which constitute the truss, the underframe being adapted to serve as a stress distributing element and lincluding iloor beams extending transversely of the car body and being secured to the sides, longitudinally extending angular cross section stringers secured to the respective oor beams across the top edges thereof, and a floor plating secured to said stringers. said door platinl being corrugated, the corrugations between the door beams additionally strengthening the intermediatethefioorbeamaand longitudinally extending draft and bumng load 4 reacting members secured to said floor -beams whereby draft and buftlng loads are distributed throughout the underframe, the body sides being so proportioned with respect to the draft and bufllng load reacting members that substantially all bending is taken by the sides.

25. In a railway car the body structure of which consists of bar-work or frame-work, longitudinally extending side wall trusses of slight height having the upper chords thereof positioned entirely below the continuously extending window openings, upwardly extending non-flexible members rigidly secured to the ends of the side wall trusses. and a compressionand collapse-resisting roof structure connected to the upper ends of said members to provide a stress-carrying element of the body structure.

26. In a railway car the body structure of which consists of bar-work or frame-work, longitudinally extending side wall trusses located entirely below the window openings of the car, a compressionand collapse-resisting roof structure, and upwardly 4extending members rigidly secured to said trusses and connecting said roof structure thereto.

27. In a railway car the body structure of which consists of bar-work or frame-work, longitudinally extending side wall trusses of slight height having the upper chords thereof positioned entirely below the continuously extending window openings, upwardly extending non-flexible members rigidly secured to the ends of said side wall trusses, and a compressionand collapse-resisting roof structure iniiexibly connected to the upper ends of said members to provide a stresscarrying element of the body structure.

28. A light weight, high strength truss type rail car body comprising a roof, sides, ends and underframe which constitute the truss, the underframe being adapted to serve as a stress distributing element and including floor beams extending transversely of the car bodyand being secured to the body sides, longitudinally extending angular cross section stringers secured to the respective oor beams across the top edges thereof, a iloor plating secured to said stringers, said floor plating being transversely corrugated,

the corrugations between the floor beams additionally strengthening the underframe intermediate the floor eams, and a draft and buiiing load member secured to the oor beams.

29. A light weight vehicle body longitudinally and transversely trussed and including trussed cured to and tying together said stringers, and y a draft and buing load member secured to said iloor beams, said underframe being a body truss element and adapted to transmit draft and bufling reactions into the car body.

l EARL J. W. RAGSDALE.

AIBERT Gi DEAN?" 

